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Credibility of polls

Armybrat

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Armybrat

Armybrat 40993

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The top 25

1. Alabama (Last season: 13-2)
The buzz: Nick Saban had the best roster in the nation, but still dipped into the transfer portal to bring in five guys who are expected to play big roles – most notably RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Jermaine Burton. Heisman-winning QB Bryce Young returns and again will put up huge numbers. And this season’s defense should be noticeably better than last season’s, especially in the secondary. OLB Will Anderson, who might be the nation’s best player, is the headliner on that side of the ball.

2. Ohio State (Last season: 11-2)
The buzz: QB C.J. Stroud, RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba will vie for All-America honors, and they’ll play with an offensive line that is one of the best in the nation. In short, the offense will be tremendous. New coordinator Jim Knowles should fix most of what has ailed the defense the past two seasons; there certainly is good talent on that side of the ball, though linebacker is a concern.

3. Georgia (Last season: 14-1)
The buzz: No one can say “1980” to the Bulldogs anymore. While this defense won’t be as talented as last season’s generational unit, this remains a defense-first team. DL Jalen Carter is a huge talent and will lead what will be a stout group. While the offensive line could have three new starters, the offense again figures to be extremely efficient. TE Brock Bowers is one of the best players in the nation, and though QB Stetson Bennettcertainly has his detractors, he also has a national title ring.

4. Clemson (Last season: 10-3)
The buzz: The defense will be excellent again, and the front four should absolutely wreak havoc. The offense, though, is a huge question, which may make this ranking look bad at the end of the season. There is a good group of running backs. But QB D.J. Uiagalelei looked overmatched for much of last season, the offensive line needs to develop consistency and the receivers really haven’t done much. Ultimately, though, Uiagalelei is the key to the season. Back-to-back games against Wake Forest and NC State should determine whether the Tigers win the ACC Coastal Division title. Clemson has more talent than anybody on its schedule.

5. Texas A&M (Last season: 8-4)
The buzz: The Aggies have an extremely talented roster, but there are questions at quarterback and wide receiver. The secondary should be tremendous, but there will be an all-new starting line on defense (there is a ton of talent there, though) and no linebacker truly stands out. In addition, the Aggies can’t ease into the season because of a tough September schedule. Still, fewer than 10 wins would be a big disappointment.

6. Michigan (Last season: 12-2)
The buzz: The Wolverines were a big surprise last season, winning the Big Ten for the first time since sharing the title in 2004 and advancing to the College Football Playoff. The defense led the way last season, but eight fulltime starters (and coordinator Mike Macdonald) are gone. The offense, then, needs to do more this season, and it should be able to. The rushing attack may actually be better than it was last season, and the passing attack certainly should improve. And while the defense will have a bunch of new starters, it still should be a strong group.

7. NC State (Last season: 9-3)
The buzz: The Wolfpack haven’t won an ACC title since 1979, when it was a seven-team league. The title is there for the taking this season, thanks to the return of QB Devin Leary, a top-notch linebacker group and questions with the other top league contenders. The defense as a whole should be quite good. The biggest concern on offense is the rushing attack, which too often was stymied last season. In addition, the Wolfpack will be the hunted this season; how will NC State handle the expectations? NCSU has won double-digit games once in its history, in 2002 with Philip Rivers at quarterback.

8. Oklahoma State (Last season: 12-2)
The buzz: The Cowboys won with defense last season. But six starters and coordinator Jim Knowles are gone; while the line should be quite good, a rebuilt secondary has a lot to prove. The offense needs to do more this season, which means QB Spencer Sandershas to be a much more consistent passer. The first conference game is October 1 at Baylor; the Cowboys also have to play at Kansas State and Oklahoma.

9. Notre Dame (Last season: 11-2)
The buzz: Brian Kelly is the winningest coach in school history and replacement Marcus Freeman is a first-time head coach (and at a school that gets as much media attention as any). Yet no one really seems to be worried that the Irish will falter. Tyler Buchner is the new starting quarterback, and he will operate behind one of the best lines in the nation and TE Michael Mayer makes for a heck of a security blanket in the passing game. The secondary, which was picked on at times last season, is the only defensive concern.

10. Utah (Last season: 10-4)
The buzz: Expectations are sky-high as the Utes try to repeat as Pac-12 champs. QB Cameron Rising and RB Tavion Thomas headline the offense, which features wide receivers who won’t scare anyone. The defense needs transfers to come through at each level; regardless, it will be the most physical unit in the league. The opener at Florida is huge for the Utes – and for the Pac-12 as a whole.

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deft

deft 6901

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13 hours ago, El Squared said:

Polls are also engineered to some extent to serve an agenda. I think most folks over 9 years old can see some of that.

This. That’s it. This year shows how fucked up it all is. There is sooooooooooo much fucking bias built into this team being pre-seasoned ranked vs another team beating an unranked team. Nevermind all the bias that comes along with which conference you belong to….

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Valmy77

Valmy77 13441

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22 hours ago, Armybrat said:

College football or political…. They don’t make a shit.

 

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Hey we finished ahead of all three of the teams picked ahead of us and finished 3rd instead of 4th. Glad to not underachieve in 2022.

Edited by Valmy77
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Valmy77

Valmy77 13441

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21 hours ago, DougO said:

Polls should be for entertainment purposes only. They should not matter otherwise.

Stupid committee bullshit should not, either, which is why a playoff that is not based on conference championships is always going to be bullshit.

Yeah the polls are just for fun now that we have a playoff. Hopefully we get autobids for conference champs soon and further reduce their impacts.

Really the polls measure prestige more than anything else.

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Valmy77

Valmy77 13441

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22 hours ago, El Squared said:

Polls are also engineered to some extent to serve an agenda. I think most folks over 9 years old can see some of that.

Well they reflect the biases of the people being polled in College Football. In opinion polls done for other things, they can of course be manipulated in a bunch of ways.

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